Staff at Land Registry office in Birkenhead picketed outside building as they held a two-day strike.

Land Registry staff in Wirral have walked out for 48 hours in a bid to protect 300 jobs.

Staff at the agency’s office in Birkenhead picketed outside the building as they held a two-day  strike over plans to sell off the Land Registry and cut jobs.

The industrial action was organised by the Public and Commercial Services union.

It follows consultation by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which is officially  still considering responses as it looks at the future of the Land Registry, with options being to  move it from the civil service to a government-owned company, into a joint venture with a private  company, or maintain its current status.

But the union says the Land Registry, which is self-financing and receives no public funds,  enjoys a 96% customer satisfaction rating and in 19 of the last 20 years has made money for the  Treasury.

Dave Lunn, chair of the PCS Land Registry Birkenhead branch, said: “We calculate about 95%  of our members stayed away from work today and it’s been really well supported around the  country too.”

He said around 35 people joined the picket line at the Land Registry offices in Birkenhead, and  said they planned to return tomorrow.

He said: “We’re hoping for a similar level of support. We even had a Swedish trade union over  offering us support.

“We couldn’t have been happier with the support we had.

“I think we’re sending a clear message to the management and the government that our  members are not prepared to stand for having their jobs privatised or have to face compulsory  redundancy because offices are being closed.”

Mr Lunn had said his members “have very real concerns” about possible privatisation of Land  Registry and say cuts to jobs “will threaten the integrity of the Land Register, drive up the cost of  house buying, threaten the stability of the housing market, threaten the state guarantee of title and  could even force local high street solicitors out of business”.

A spokeswoman for the Land Registry said they would “will endeavour to ensure that there is  minimal disruption to the services we offer to our professional customers and the public”.

She added: “We apologise for any inconvenience that may be caused.”

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/wirral-land-registry-staffl-begin-7122086